Method and apparatus for broadcast content related notification

• US 8,165,519 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Junichi, Liao, Xuan, Huang, Zhongyang
• Primary Examiner(s): GESESSE, TILAHUN
• Application Number:
  US12/160,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20100151782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.06, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A transmitting apparatus includes a generation unit configured to generate a notification message and a transmission unit configured to transmit the notification message. The notification message includes a broadcast identifier identifying a broadcast and timing control information indicating when media information related to and distinct from the broadcast is to be displayed.

A receiving apparatus includes a broadcast reception unit configured to receive broadcast and a notification message reception unit configured to extract broadcast identifiers and timing control information from the notification messages.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a generation unit configured to generates a notification message, the notification message including;

a broadcast identifier identifying a broadcast; and

presentation timing information indicating when media information related to and distinct from the broadcast is to be displayed, wherein the presentation timing control information includes at least one of;

an indication to display the media information immediately after receiving the notification message;

an indication to display the media information relative to a time when the broadcast is to be displayed;

an indication of an offset of a fixed duration;

an indication of a specific time to display the media information; and

an indication that the media information may be displayed at a user-selection time; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the notification message.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the generation unit is configured to include presentation manner information in the notification message and when the timing information indicates the media information is to be displayed immediately after receiving the notification message, the presentation manner information indicates the media information is to be displayed by at least one of interrupting the broadcast and overlaying the broadcast.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the generation unit is configured to include a media identifier in the notification message, the media identifier identifying the media information related to the broadcast from among a plurality of pieces of media information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the timing information indicates a time to display the media information relative to a time when the broadcast is to be displayed.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the timing information is an offset of a fixed duration.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the broadcast includes content from a broadcast service and media information related to the broadcast service is related to the broadcast.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the generation unit is configured to include the media information related to the broadcast in the notification message.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the media information includes scheduling information related to the broadcast.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a broadcast reception unit configured to receive broadcasts;

a notification message reception unit configured to receive notification messages and extract broadcast identifiers and presentation timing information from notification messages, the timing information indicating when media information related to and distinct from received broadcasts is to be displayed, wherein the presentation timing information includes at least one of;

an indication to display the media information immediately after receiving the notification message;

an indication to display the media information relative to a time when a broadcast is to be displayed;

an indication of an offset of a fixed duration;

an indication of a specific time to display the media information; and

an indication that the media information may be displayed at a user-selected time;

a storing unit configured to store media information related to and distinct from received broadcasts; and

a display unit configured to;

display broadcasts; and

display media information related to broadcasts based on broadcast identifiers and timing information extracted from notification messages.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the notification message reception unit is configured to extract presentation manner information from notification messages and the display unit is configured to, when timing information extracted from a notification message indicates selected media information is to be displayed immediately, display the selected media information by at least one of interrupting a broadcast and overlaying the broadcast according to extracted presentation manner information.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein

the notification message reception unit is configured to extract media identifiers from notification messages, the media identifiers identifying at least one piece of media information stored in the storing unit;

and

the display unit is configured to display media information based on the extracted media identifiers.

12. The receiving apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the display unit is configured to, when extracted timing information indicates a relative time to display media information with respect to display of a broadcast, determine when to display media information based on the extracted timing information and a time of display of the broadcast.

13. A method, comprising:

transmitting media information related to and distinct from a broadcast;

generating a notification message including;

presentation timing information indicating when to display the media information related to and distinct from the broadcast wherein the presentation timing information includes at least one of;

an indication to display the media information immediately after receiving the notification message;

an indication to display the media information relative to a time when the broadcast is to be displayed;

an indication of an offset of a fixed duration;

an indication of a specific time to display the media information; and

an indication that the media information may be displayed at a user-selected time; and

a broadcast identifier identifying the broadcast; and

transmitting the notification message.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein when the timing information indicates the media information is to be displayed immediately after the notification message is received, the generating the notification message comprises including presentation manner information in the notification message, the presentation manner information including at least one of:

an indication that the media information is to be displayed by interrupting the broadcast; and

an indication that the media information is to be displayed by overlaying the broadcast.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the generating the notification message comprises including in the notification message a media identifier identifying the media information relating to and distinct from the broadcast from among a plurality of pieces of media information.

16. The method according to claim 13 wherein the timing information indicating when to display the media information indicates a relative timing with respect to a timing of the broadcast.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a broadcast;

storing media information related to and distinct from the broadcast;

receiving a notification message including a broadcast identifier identifying the broadcast and presentation timing information indicating when to display the media information related to and distinct from the broadcast wherein the presentation timing information includes at least one of;

an indication to display the media information immediately after receiving the notification message;

an indication to display the media information relative to a time when the broadcast is to be displayed;

an indication of an offset of a fixed duration;

an indication of a specific time to display the media information; and

an indication that the media information may be displayed at a user-selected time;

displaying the broadcast; and

displaying the media information related to and distinct from the broadcast based on the timing information included in the notification message.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein

the notification message includes presentation manner information and the timing information indicates the media information is to be displayed immediately after the notification message is received;

and

displaying the media information comprises at least one of interrupting the display of the broadcast and overlaying the display of the broadcast based on the presentation manner information.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein

the notification message includes a media identifier identifying at least one piece of stored media information;

and

displaying the media information comprises displaying the at least one piece of stored media information identified by the media identifier.

20. The method according to claim 17 wherein

the timing information indicates a relative timing when the media information is to be displayed with respect to display of the broadcast;

and

displaying the media information comprises determining when to display the media information based on the timing information and a time when the broadcast is to be displayed.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving the notification message comprises receiving media information related to the broadcast included in the notification message and the storing media information related to the broadcast comprises storing the media information included in the notification message.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the broadcast is a broadcast of a broadcast service and the media information is related to the broadcast service.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein displaying the broadcast comprises displaying content of the broadcast.